Rhetoric and Literary Devices

Rhetoric

The art of effective communication.

Rhetorical Question

Question not asked for information but for effect. 'The angry parent asked the child, 'Are you finished interrupting me?'' In this case, the parent does not expect a reply but simply wants to draw the child's attention to the rudeness of interrupting.

Satire

A work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of life to a humorous effect. It targets human vices and follies, or social institutions and conventions. ] usually has three layers: serious on the surface; humorous when you discover that it is hhhinstead of reality; and serious when you discern the underlying point of the author.

Balanced sentence

A sentence in which two parallel elements are set off against each other like equal weights on a scale. Both parts are parallel grammatically. 'If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.' Also called parallelism.

Symbol

Anything that represents or stands for something else. Usually, a hhhhis something concrete such as an object, action, or character...that represents something more abstract. Examples of hhhinclude the Whale in Moby Dick, the river and the jungle in Heart of Darkness, and the Raven in 'The Raven.'

Syntax/sentence variety

Grammatical arrangement of words. This is perhaps one of the most difficult concepts to master. First, a reader should examine the length of sentences (short or long). How do sentence length and structure relate to tone and meaning? Are they simple, compound, compound-complex sentences? How do they relate to one another? is the grouping of words, while diction refers to the selection of individual words.

Theme

The central idea or message of a work. The hhhmay be directly stated in nonfiction works, although not necessarily. It is rarely stated directly in fiction.

Thesis

The sentences or groups directly expressing the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or proposition. It should be short and clear. (also see argument)

Tone

A writer's attitude toward his subject matter is revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization. To identify , consider how the piece would sound if read aloud (or how the author wanted it to sound aloud).

Ad hominem

Latin for 'against the man'. You are personally attacking your opponents instead of their arguments. It is an argument that appeals to emotion rather than reason, feeling rather than intellect.

Argument

An argument is a piece of reasoning with one or more premises and a conclusion. Essentially, every essay is an argument that begins with the conclusion (the thesis) and then sets up the premises. An argument (or the thesis of an argument) is also sometimes called a claim, a position, or a stance.

Ethos (credibility)

Means being convinced by the credibility of the author. We tend to believe people whom we respect. In an appeal to ethos, a writer tries to convince the audience that he or she is someone worth listening to, in other words, an authority on the subject, as well as someone likable and worthy of respect. (Also see the fallacy of appeal to authority.) An argument that relies too heavily on ethos, without any corroborating logos, can become a fallacy.

Pathos (emotional)

Means persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions. (Also see the fallacy of appeal to emotion). An argument that relies too much on emotion, without any corroborating logos, can become a fallacy.

Logos (logical)

Means persuading by the use of reasoning, using true premises and valid arguments. This is generally considered the strongest form of persuasion.

Alliteration

The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words. 'Sally sells sea shells by the sea shore.'

Allusion

An indirect reference to something (usually a literary text, although it can be other things commonly known, such as plays, songs, or historical events) with which the reader is supposed to be familiar.

Antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. The AP language exam occasionally asks for the antecedent of a given pronoun in a long, complex sentence or a group of sentences. 'If I could command the wealth of all the world by lifting my finger, I would not pay such a price for it.' An AP question might read: 'What is the antecedent for

Diction

Word choice, particularly as an element of style. Different types of words have significant effects on meaning. An essay written in academic diction would be much less colorful, but perhaps more precise than street slang.

Connotation

Rather than the dictionary definition (denotation), the associations are suggested by a word. Implied meaning rather than literal meaning. (For example, 'policeman,' 'cop,' and 'The Man' all denote the same literal meaning of police officer, but each has a different connotation.)

Denotation

The literal, explicit meaning of a word, without its connotations.

Vernacular

1. Language or dialect of a particular country. 2. Language or dialect of a regional clan or group. 3. Plain everyday speech.

Didactic

A term used to describe fiction, nonfiction, or poetry that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking.

Personification

Giving human-like qualities to something that is not human. 'The tired old truck groaned as it inched up the hill.'

Genre

The major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama. However, genres can be subdivided as well (poetry can be classified into lyric, dramatic, narrative, etc.).

Imagery

Word or words that create a picture in the reader's mind. Usually, this involves the five senses. Authors often use imagery in conjunction with metaphors, similes, or figures of speech.

Verbal irony

When you say something and mean the opposite/something different. For example, if your gym teacher wants you to run a mile in eight minutes or faster, but calls it a 'walk in the park' it would be verbal irony. If your voice tone is bitter, it's called sarcasm.

Dramatic irony

When the audience of a drama, play, movie, etc. knows something that the character doesn't and would be surprised to find out. For example, in many horror movies, we (the audience) know who the killer is, but the victim-to-be has no idea who is doing the slaying. Sometimes the character trusts the killer completely when (ironically) he/she shouldn't.

Situational irony

Found in the plot (or storyline) of a book, story, or movie. Sometimes it makes you laugh because it's funny how things turn out. (For example, Johnny spent two hours planning on sneaking into the movie theater and missed the movie. When he finally did manage to sneak inside he found out that kids were admitted free that day).

Juxtaposition

Placing things side by side for comparison. Authors often use juxtaposition of ideas or examples to make a point. For example, an author may juxtapose the average day of a typical American with that of someone in the third world to make a point of social commentary.

Mood

The atmosphere created by the literature and accomplished through word choice (diction). Syntax is often a creator of mood since word order, sentence length strength, and complexity also affect pacing and therefore mood. Setting, tone, and events can all affect the mood.

Metaphor

Making an implied comparison, not using 'like,' as,' or other such words. 'My feet are popsicles.' An extended metaphor is when the metaphor is continued later in the written work. If I continued to call my feet 'my popsicles' in later paragraphs, that would be an extended metaphor. A particularly elaborate extended metaphor is called using conceit.

Figurative Language

'Figurative Language' is the opposite of 'Literal Language.' Literal language is writing that makes complete sense when you take it at face value. 'Figurative Language' is the opposite: writing that is not meant to be taken literally.

Simile

Using words such as 'like' or 'as' to make a direct comparison between two very different things. 'My feet are so cold they feel like popsicles.'